This definitely isn’t your usual run of the mill HR text; It is written by an African writer who is seeking to activate Africans to stand up and take responsibility for transforming Africa. It is somewhat appropriate that I’m reading this book whilst I’m in Uganda working with a charity, so I am very much reading it from within an appropriate context. That said, whilst the book has a focus on Africa, the author’s purpose is for it to also be applied more widely.
The book argues that Africans have been stripped of their dignity through both historical injustices and self-inflicted acts, and that it is time to activate people who will stand up and take responsibility for driving transformational change.
There are lots of interesting messages in the book, including:
- The characteristics of reformers (e.g. they are risk takers, and they seek collaboration).
- Reformers have a certain mindset and they’re described as Radical Love Carriers who are undaunted and unstoppable and are in for the long haul of driving transformational (rather than transactional) change.
- Reformers tackle difficult, long-standing, deep-seated issues rather than just driving quick fixes for short-term gain.
- A call for congruence and authenticity (so that who we are in the dark when no one is watching is the same as who we are when people are watching).
- The need for reformers to work hard on developing themselves so they are equipped for the role.
- The need to influence people, and build a community of reformers.
I find most books easy to categorise and make a clear recommendation as to who it is for, but it is much more difficult for this book so I will conclude with the following and let you decide yourself: this book is a rallying cry for reformers, for people who are willing to change themselves and step up to change their nation. It is clearly, I think, a book written from a Christian perspective (which comes through in a subtle way) and is somewhat of a self-help book for people who want to transform their nation.
Ian Pettigrew, Kingfisher Coaching – www.kingfishercoaching.com
